TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty
to weapons offenses for selling guns - including
assault rifles, semi-automatic handguns and
sawed-off shotguns - to an undercover State
Police detective from the auto repair shop
where he worked in Chatham, N.J.

According
to Director Gramiccioni, David Charles Murray,
26, who formerly lived in Chatham but now
lives in Equinunk, Pa., pleaded guilty yesterday
afternoon before Superior Court Judge Thomas
V. Manahan in Morris County to a five-count
accusation charging him with second- and third-degree
gun offenses as well as fourth-degree possession
of illegal hollow point bullets. Under the
plea agreement, the state will recommend that
he be sentenced to 10 years in state prison,
including five years without possibility of
parole. Sentencing is scheduled for April
17.

The
charges resulted from an undercover investigation
by the New Jersey State Police Street Gangs
Bureau, North Unit, and the U.S. Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Deputy Attorney General Erin Callahan took
the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal
Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.

“This
kind of gun trafficking poses a serious threat
to the safety of New Jersey residents,”
said Attorney General Milgram. “The
defendant sold deadly weapons to an undercover
trooper who he believed was a criminal looking
for extra firepower. He is going to prison
thanks to the cooperative work of the State
Police, ATF and Division of Criminal Justice.”

The
New Jersey State Police began investigating
Murray in August 2008 after receiving information
that he was selling guns in New Jersey that
he purchased in Pennsylvania. The State Police
enlisted the aid of the ATF and worked cooperatively
with its agents. As part of the investigation,
an undercover State Police detective arranged
to purchase guns from Murray on four occasions.

On
Sept. 19, 2008, Murray sold a .32-caliber
handgun for $400 in Kearny. Murray made the
other gun sales from the auto repair shop
where he worked as a tow truck driver in Chatham,
Glenn’s Automotive and Towing. On October
1, 2008, Murray sold the detective a sawed-off
shotgun, a handgun, hollow point bullets and
shotgun shells for $1,150. On October 8, 2008,
Murray sold the detective an AK 47 assault
rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, a handgun, high
capacity magazines loaded for both the AK
47 and the handgun, and shotgun shells for
$1,650.

On October 16, 2008, troopers and ATF agents
arrested Murray at his place of employment,
after he delivered to the detective an AK
47 assault rifle, two handguns, and a bag
of ammunition, which he had agreed to sell
for $2,500.

During
the purchases at the auto repair shop, the
undercover detective saw Murray grind the
serial numbers off each weapon. At one meeting,
Murray sawed off the barrel of a shotgun.
All of the weapons sold came fully loaded
with additional ammunition supplied to the
undercover detective.